These
men, although entertaining in their own way, did not do amazing things for
diversifying the representation of the LGBT community in new media. Their
content focused around gossip, celebrity and fashion; not exactly breaking the
mould. We may as well have been watchingAre
You Being Served. That said, these men were at the top of YouTube, driving
an awful lot of the regular viewers to the site as it grew in popularity in the late naughties.

Gay, flamboyant men are no longer the Kings (Queens?) of
YouTube; they have since been usurped by the cute boy with a floppy fringe anda British accent, but the LGBT community still makes up a significant portion
of content creators and viewers. And they aren’t just hanging around, they’re
candid and frank about their sexuality, experiences and opinions.

Since its popularisation the Internet has been a place where
people who feel like they don’t fit in come to rant, socialise and find
like-minded people. Many queer kids, especially those growing up outside of
larger cities, will not have ever known anyone who is like them. YouTube
provides a more personal bond with someone than watching the latest episode of
Modern Family or Glee.

Thousands upon thousands made their own videos with their
own stories of finding love and acceptance after enduring hardship wile they
were growing up; even Obama and Cameron joined in. YouTube is now a bank of
these stories, showing queer kids that even if they have it hard right now,
there is invariably a light at the end of the tunnel.

In his article, Rob suggested that YouTube provided kids
with a place where they can find acceptance when they come out of the closet. I
think that YouTube’s role begins even before that – because when you feel
alone, scared and confused, knowing that someone else has felt the same way can
make the journey so much easier.

Coming out of the closet or dealing with depression used to
be like jumping off a cliff that you couldn’t see the bottom of. But now we can
see the landing and have a thousand anecdotes from people who have made the
jump themselves.